My Story: Part Four
Steve Maloney
In part three of my story, I highlighted the importance of change — and my natural tendency to resist it, as shown in my DISC Assessment. My wife would agree with this. When it comes to changes around the house, my automatic response is, “What’s wrong with the way it is?” This is something I’ve had to work to overcome.
This kind of mindset is especially important to overcome in manufacturing. A better response would be, “Why do we do it this way, and how can we improve our processes to make this better?”
Fortunately, I learned not to let the “resistant to change” limitation on my DISC report affect how I led in my leadership roles. Rather, I try to lean into being a change agent.
W. Edward Deming, one of the respected leaders of the quality movement in the mid-to-late 20th century, famously stated two basic rules of life:
- Change is inevitable
- Everyone resists change.
I took that to heart and made a conscious effort to embrace change and help others do the same.
Interestingly, some of the roles where I thrived most required exactly that. As a Continuous Improvement Manager, I led teams without direct authority, which pushed me to develop my ability to influence, build trust, and create alignment. I spent a lot of time helping others understand not just what we were doing, but why it mattered.
I learned the power of momentum. Small wins build confidence, and confidence builds buy-in. I often used what I call the sandwich approach in change management. I grew fond of the phrase, “Sell the problem, not the solution.” These are lessons I still share with participants in our Supervisory Leadership and Lean Six-Sigma Yellow Belt programs.
My passion for this work eventually led me into the classroom. I began teaching Change Management as an Adjunct Professor at Clarkson University, working with engineering professionals in the Master of Science in Engineering Management program. I also began teaching Management at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, bringing in the same important lessons to those students. Both experiences have allowed me to connect with and influence the next generation of leaders in Upstate NY.
Speaking of change, 2015 was a big year for my career. After about eight years as Director of Training at MACNY and extensive experience leading Continuous Improvement programs, I was ready for the next step in my career. I wanted to lead a team directly, be accountable for results, and focus more intentionally on coaching and developing others. I wanted to apply all that I had learned at that point and have a positive impact on my own dedicated team and the organization that I would work for.
Human Resources was the natural next step for me. My background in learning and development, combined with a passion for people and organizational growth, aligned naturally. I knew it would take the right leader and organization to see the value in that combination.
Fortunately, International Wire Group needed a VP of HR at the time who had my type of experience. They needed someone to help shape and influence the culture. It was exactly the kind of role I had been preparing for.
This was the start of a 10-year journey of executive leadership roles within Human Resources. What a ride! I look back and see the key milestones that helped me develop as a leader, and I’m amazed by how fast a decade has gone by.
In my next post, I’ll share the most important lessons from that chapter.